investigations
Report: UCLA privacy breaches happen often
When a hospital treats celebrities, it's no surprise that employees will be tempted to get a peek at their records--as happened recently when employees improperly looked into records on singer... Read more...
New York AG expands health plan investigation
A few weeks ago, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo made national news when he filed suit against... Read more...
Senate questions device maker payments to surgeons
Last year, five makers of orthopedic implants paid more than $221 million to surgeon consultants--and some Senate members want to know why. Today, the Senate Special Committee on Aging is holding a... Read more...
Caremark to pay $38.5M settlement
Pharmacy benefit manager Caremark Rx has agreed to pay a total of $38.5 million to 28 states and the District of Columbia to settle charges that it manipulated doctors into changing prescriptions... Read more...
PacifiCare faces $1.33B fine
Man, California regulators are tough. Over the past year, I wouldn't be surprised if there had been more fines imposed by the state's Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) then by state health... Read more...
LA hospital settles with DoJ for $1.9M
A Louisiana hospital has agreed to pay $1.9 million to the U.S. Department of Justice to settle charges that it knowingly permitted a cardiologist to perform medically unnecessary procedures on... Read more...
HHS: Specialty hospitals not ready for emergencies
A new report from the HHS Inspector General's being released today should send shock waves through the ranks of physician-owned specialty hospitals. The emergency capacity of specialty hospitals has... Read more...
Surgical device maker faces kickback investigation
Things are getting ugly for device maker Blackstone Medical, which is facing a federal investigation for allegedly paying kickbacks to doctors who use its equipment. The federal government has asked... Read more...
BCBS of RI pays $20M to settle corruption charges
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island will pay $20 million to avoid prosecution for the conduct of former executives who directed funds to companies run by state officials. As part of the deal,... Read more...
TX, NJ hospitals settle Medicare allegations
Hospitals in Texas and New Jersey agreed this week to pay almost $10 million to settle charges of making improper Medicare claims. One facility, Warren Hospital of Philipsburg, N.J., agreed to pay... Read more...
